


Love, Run (to show that love's worth running to)

by meowvelous



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, F/F, How Do I Tag, I'm Canadian and so's my spelling, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Past Character Death, Past Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Slice of Life, Slow Build, Slow Burn, no beta we die like witchers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27255139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowvelous/pseuds/meowvelous
Summary: Jaskier has a pretty good life, working as a barista and playing in his band, and spending time with his best friend Renfri. He’s fine, he’s got a plan, it’ll be fine.He definitely shouldn't get involved in the family drama between his favourite regular and her not-dad.Or start dating said not-dad.Because that isn’t part of the plan... Right?[On hiatus as of Dec 20th, 2020]
Relationships: Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Jaskier | Dandelion, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon/Renfri | Shrike, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier | Dandelion & Renfri | Shrike
Comments: 28
Kudos: 80





	1. Masks

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello! This was written as a NaNoWriMo-ish challenge for myself, except I gave myself the month of October and November. I used a random prompt list I found off Google, called "October 2018 Prompt Set", but modified it some.
> 
> [Edit: As of Dec 20th, 2020, I... have not finished writing this fic and so I'm putting it on pause from updates, until I get more written. Sorry about this, and thank you to everyone for the support shown to this story so far.]
> 
> Off the bat, I will warn for mentions of past character death (because Ciri's backstory is a thing). I'll probably warn for additional stuff in author's notes before the chapter instead of tagging for them; don't worry, nothing too extreme happens in this story!
> 
> As always, if you think I've neglected to warn for something, please let me know, either in a comment or on twitter (I'm @thegr8atuin on there!). Also please let me know if you see any typos!
> 
> Big ups to Wheatley and Jay for looking over chapters for me, and much love, as always, to the server I'm on, for doing sprints that helped me write this, and all the other encouragement. <3 
> 
> I'm probably going to upload a chapter a week? We'll see. Also! Title is, of course, from The Amazing Devil song/album. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Comments are much appreciated. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning for** : mentions of past character deaths, mention of car accidents (but no details otherwise)

Rain ran miniature rivers along the glass storefront of The Hideout, Jaskier’s favourite coffee shop in town. He might have been biased though, considering that he worked there. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow, decorated with pieces of art for sale, all from local artists. A ragtag collection of comfortable chairs were artfully arranged around the tables. At Jaskier’s back, a blackboard menu ran nearly the length of the cafe. Baked goods in a glass display occupied about a third of the front counter; the rest was a dark wood.

His favourite part of the café though, was the back corner. When tables were pushed aside, equipment rigged up, it became a performance space.

A bell rang as someone came into the café, pushing open the front door. There was the flash of light off platinum blonde hair as someone ducked and closed their umbrella. Already smiling, Jaskier began heating some milk.

“Hi,” Ciri began as she came up to the counter. “I’ll have—”

“A medium white hot chocolate,” Jaskier finished for her. Since the start of September, she always came in on Thursday afternoons at the same time, and ordered the same drink. It was now the start of November. “What else would you like with that?” The only variation in her order was which baked good she got with her drink.

Ciri hummed thoughtfully, as she scanned the display. “What kind of cupcakes are those?” She asked, pointing at them.

“Yellow icing is lemon, white is red velvet, and grey is cookies and cream.” Jaskier rattled off as he started preparing the drink. “We’re taking them for a test run, they’re from down the street.” Where there was a bakery which exclusively sold cupcakes.

“Ooh, I’ll take cookies and cream one.” Ciri decided.

“Good choice.” Jaskier flashed her a smile. A moment later, he set the drink on the counter, and grabbed the cupcake, putting it on a small plate. He told her the total, and, knowing she’d be paying with credit, passed over the card machine.

As Ciri handed it back, her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen. When she saw who it was, she rolled her eyes, mouthed ‘sorry’ to Jaskier, and swiped to answer it. “What?” She asked flatly. A pause. “Fine... No... They’re good. You don’t need to... I know, but where will you stay? Oh. Okay, fine.” Without saying goodbye, Ciri hung up.

She noticed the look Jaskier was giving her. “What?” Ciri said again, still defensive, but less angry.

“Who was that?” Jaskier had to ask. He hadn’t thought it was possible for her to sound like that. She had been nothing but kind since they ran into each other again. And before that, she’d always seemed happy. Of course, a lot had happened since then, but, still...

After a long sigh, Ciri picked up her order. “My guardian. He... I’m an _adult_ now, I don’t need him anymore. But he still keeps tabs on me.” She shrugged. “He’s coming down for a visit this weekend, I guess.”

“...Ah.” Jaskier replied. There was a pang of guilt, as he remembered that Ciri was on her third set of guardians. He cast about for a change in subject. “Are you coming to the show tomorrow night?” His band was playing at the café.

Thankfully, that seemed to cast away the mood that had fallen over Ciri, and she grinned. “Of course! I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss seeing Renfri, you mean.” Jaskier teased. She stuck her tongue out at him, and went to go to her usual table. “I notice you didn’t deny it.” He called after her; in reply, she flashed her middle finger at him.

Still grinning, Jaskier started reorganizing the bottles of syrup to keep himself busy.

***

When Jaskier got home to his apartment, it was to the noise of someone digging around the fridge. He was somewhat gratified that his cat, Patches, came running to see him, instead of continuing to beg for scraps. “You are the worst guard-cat.” Jaskier cheerfully informed Patches, picking him up.

The cat just purred, content to be held as Jaskier walked into the kitchen. “You need to go grocery shopping.” Renfri told him, voice muffled from where she had her head stuck in the fridge.

“Oh, do I now.” Jaskier replied, amused. “My apologies, I didn’t stock the fridge for company.”

Without looking out, Renfri flipped him off with her free hand. Unspoken was the fact that she hadn’t been part of the ‘company’ category for years now. “Seriously, were you going to have scrambled eggs for dinner, _again_?”

“...No.” Jaskier immediately protested, before admitting. “...I was going to have a fried egg.”

Finally, Renfri emerged, viewing him with an amused exasperation. “You’re the worst. Pizza, then? Tonight’s the wing special at the Pizza Shack.”

“Sure. It’s your turn to pay.” Jaskier agreed, moving past her to refill his water bottle at the sink.

“Ugh.” Despite her eye roll, Renfri pulled out her phone and called the pizza place, putting in their usual order. Once done, she wandered into the living room and dropped into the well-worn armchair there. To keep herself busy, she started playing a game on her phone.

A moment later, Jaskier joined her, sitting on the couch with Patches. Checking his own phone, he scanned over the notifications he’d missed from the Lord of the Rings server that he was a part of. With an absent smile on his face, Jaskier dropped a few replies and chatted for a bit, before signing off. Then he checked the group-chat they had for the band.

Luckily, the other two members - Kit and Jess - were still available for their upcoming show. That reminded him... “Ciri’s going to be at the show tomorrow.” Jaskier announced, aiming for a casual tone.

Renfri didn’t look up from her phone, the picture of nonchalance. Only a slight twitch of her mouth, like she went to smile before stopping herself, betrayed her interest. “Oh?” Renfri tried to sound bored, but it didn't fool Jaskier at all.

“She hasn’t missed one, since the start of the semester.” He let that linger, and when Renfri didn’t take the bait, continued. “Ciri likes you, you know?” Sometimes, with Renfri, it was best to be direct.

“We’re not doing this.” Renfri shot back. A beat, before continuing, “Besides, what would her parents think? If they’re anything like yours...”

There was a pang in Jaskier’s stomach and he swallowed down his discomfort. This wasn’t about him. “Her parents are dead,” He said instead.

“...What?” Something in Renfri’s expression softened as she looked up from her phone.

“They died in a car accident, when she was five. Ciri wasn’t there; they were coming back from a holiday party, and well... Snow, slippery roads, you know. It happens. It was a big deal, at the time.” Jaskier concentrated on petting Patches, the reassuring noise of the cat’s purrs.

“...Any other family?” Renfri asked, after a pause filled with ringing silence.

“Her grandparents - mother’s side, I think - stepped in. And they died too when she was sixteen. That time Ciri was in the car.” Jaskier swallowed, remembering how kind her grandparents had been. “Then some guardian took her in, I don’t know, my parents disapproved and stopped keeping tabs on her. But I heard her talking to him today on the phone, and she doesn’t seem to get along with him.”

“Hm.” Renfri looked back down, but Jaskier knew she was thinking of her own past; a patchwork of homes until she aged out of the system. “...Still. She’s rich, right?”

“ _I’m_ rich.” Jaskier pointed out.

She grabbed a novelty pillow off the couch and threw it at him. “It’s different.”

He caught the pillow and rolled his eyes. “She’s nice to me, tips well. Anyway, you shouldn’t let that stop you.” Jaskier tossed it back at her.

“Whatever.” Renfri said; from their long acquaintance, he knew that she really meant, _I’ll think about it_.

Jaskier dropped the topic for the time being, not wanting to push her _too_ much. He remembered something funny that happened during his shift and launched into a recollection of it. Renfri listened, smiling idly.

When the pizza showed up, both were texting in the band group chat, going over their setlist for tomorrow. Renfri got up and paid for the food. As they ate, Jaskier turned on the television and they started watching an ensemble comedy they were both fans of.

Eventually, it started getting late. Renfri wrapped up half of the leftovers, taking them with her. They exchanged goodbyes, until tomorrow. She dropped a kiss on Jaskier’s head, before letting herself out of the apartment.

***

The next day passed for Jaskier in a haze of excited anticipation. He was lucky that the owner of the coffee shop - Triss - let him clock out from his shift early, so he could help set up. Renfri showed up first, early as always, before Jess arrived, and then Kit.

“Shit, I was sure I was going to get here before you today.” Kit said to Jess, smiling as they set their messenger bag down.

Jess shrugged. “Better luck next time.” The stiffness of her shoulders eased as her girlfriend, Lily, sidled up to her and passed over a water bottle. After kissing Jess on the cheek, Lily slipped away again.

Tables and chairs were moved out of the way, replaced by their instruments. As usual, Kit’s drum set took the longest to set up. They were fastidious, making sure everything was in its proper place. Jess was fiddling with her bass, frowning down at it. And Renfri, violin loose in her grip, was gazing off at something.

Following her line of sight, Jaskier saw that she was watching Ciri in the audience. And... There was someone with her, a man with silver hair and amber eyes. The man turned to say something to Ciri, and - though it was hard to tell from this distance - her reply seemed unfriendly. So. That was probably the guardian who had come to visit. Dimly, Jaskier noted how gorgeous the man was, even if he’d apparently done something to earn Ciri’s ire. 

He refocused, and using his foot, nudged Renfri. She looked over and raised an eyebrow in question. “Don’t get too distracted, now.” Jaskier teased her.

She rolled her eyes. “Ready?” Renfri asked instead. Jaskier nodded. Renfri signaled to Jess and Kit, who got ready.

After stepping up to his microphone, Jaskier subconsciously stood taller as he felt the focus of the audience settle on him. He smiled, and instead of saying anything, began to sing.


	2. Mirrors

After the last note of the final song rang out, there was a moment of silence, before the audience erupted in applause. Flush with giddy energy, Jaskier beamed out at the crowd. “Thank you, thank you. You’ve all been lovely. We’re the Joyous Possession, and it was our honor to play for you!”

More applause, and then the audience slowly began to trickle out. Some came to join the band, helping them break down equipment and put their instruments away.

When most people were gone, Jaskier noticed that Ciri was still there, hanging back. Her mysterious guardian had disappeared at some point; Jaskier hadn’t noticed him leaving. He used his elbow to nudge Renfri, who was putting her violin away. “You should go talk to her.” Jaskier prodded, gently.

A rare flash of vulnerability came over Renfri’s face, as she hesitated. She looked from Ciri to Jaskier. “I...”

“It’s just a conversation.” Jaskier pointed out, keeping his voice low. Ducking her head, Renfri nodded. Briefly, Jaskier reached out and squeezed her hand. After flashing a shaky grin at him, Renfri left and approached Ciri.

Deciding to leave them to it, Jaskier turned back to the other members of the band. “Good show.” He smiled. “Good job.”

Jess huffed, pleased by the praise but unwilling to show it. Kit, on the other hand, grinned, flushing slightly As Kit returned to packing up their drums, Jess was joined by her girlfriend, and the two fell into a quiet conversation.

It dawned on Jaskier that he was just standing there. He let out a huff of laughter, amused with himself, and joined the clean-up effort. They had just finished when Renfri returned to Jaskier. “How’d it go?” He asked.

“I got her number.” Renfri replied, with pleased bewilderment.

“See, I told you so.” Jaskier couldn’t help but point out. Renfri rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle shove. He pushed back, and there was a brief tussle before the two ended up with their arms around each other. Jaskier hugged her, which Renfri submitted to with the air of someone long used to enduring his affections.

“Do you wanna come back to mine?” Jaskier asked after a moment. The thought of going back to an empty apartment didn’t hold any appeal at the moment.

She shook her head no. “Pretty tired.” Renfri admitted. Jaskier nodded his acceptance, knowing she had worked all day. There was some more chatter among the band, and then everyone headed out into the night, going their separate ways.

***

It was Saturday, and Jaskier was grateful that he didn’t have to work until that afternoon. He had a quiet morning, getting up to feed the cat before going back to bed and sleeping in until 10 am. Despite the liberal ingestion of caffeine, he was still tired when his shift started at the café.

Around the mid-afternoon, Jaskier was surprised to see Ciri come in, followed by her guardian. There was a slight reserve to the woman as she approached the counter, giving a small smile.

Jaskier pushed past his confusion, returning the smile. “Hello. The usual?”

Ciri nodded, and they went through the routine of paying and Jaskier preparing the drink. He had just handed over the drink when he noticed Ciri seemed to be lingering at the counter. Jaskier raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

“Have you heard from Renfri?” Ciri blurted out, before closing her mouth and biting her lip. Ah. So that’s what had been on her mind.

He bit back a smile, though amusement showed in his eyes. “Yes.” Jaskier answered. They had texted earlier about nothing important.

The answer seemed to disappoint Ciri, who nodded slowly. She glanced away and then back again.

“You know,” Jaskier continued. “I never got the point of the whole ‘waiting to contact someone’ bit of exchanging numbers. You did get her number, right? If she gave it to you, that means she wants to hear from you.”

“...Yeah.” Ciri said softly, before repeating with more confidence, “Yeah. Thanks.” She flashed him a grateful smile, grabbing her drink and heading to her usual table. Jaskier watched her leave, smiling idly.

Something in the corner of his eye reminded him that there was still someone standing there. Jaskier’s gaze snapped back to find Ciri’s guardian staring at him. His face was mostly expressionless, but there was an air of... disapproval, maybe, around him.

It was tempting to sigh, but he was working, so instead Jaskier shifted to his customer service smile. “Hello, would you like to order anything?”

“Hm.” The man replied, before going to join Ciri. Jaskier stared at his back, baffled; then Jaskier’s gaze moved down to the man’s incredibly shapely ass, before he caught himself and tore his gaze away.

Despite the fact that they hadn’t even exchanged words, Jaskier found himself flustered for some reason. He shook it off, and found something to keep his hands - and his mind - busy.

***

That week, Ciri seemed to hang around the café more than usual, always accompanied by the mysterious man. Three days into this, Jaskier gave himself a pep talk in his bathroom. “Today,” He announced to the mirror, “You are going to find out the name of the gorgeous stranger.” His expression seemed doubtful.

With a sigh, Jaskier went back to getting ready for the day.

***

As fate would have it, that day was the first time that the man ordered something for himself. It was a coffee, black, because  _ of course _ that’s what he wanted. Jaskier bit back a snarky reply, and instead asked, “And your name is...?”

The man stared at him blankly, before narrowing his eyes slightly. “Why.” He stated.

It was true that it wasn’t like he was going to write a name on the cup, but... Jaskier steeled himself and answered cheerfully, “It would be nice to put a name to the face.”

“...Geralt.” He finally replied.

Mouthing the name back to himself, Jaskier went and poured a cup of coffee. “One coffee, black! It’s a damn fine roast, if I do say so myself.” He said with a wink as he brought the cup over to the counter.

With a roll of his eyes, Geralt took the cup and went to join Ciri.

He couldn’t help but watch the two, leaning his elbow on the counter and resting his face against his hand. Ciri seemed to be making a point of staring at her phone, ignoring Geralt, as he tried to draw her into conversation.

Idly, Jaskier wondered if she was texting Renfri. He’d been giving his best friend space when it came to her new relationship with Ciri, not wanting to push too much. That didn’t mean he wasn’t curious though, especially about the story for how Geralt came to be her guardian, and why things were so strained between them.

In his back pocket, Jaskier felt his phone vibrate. First, he checked to make sure there were no other customers who needed his attention. Once Jaskier confirmed that everyone seemed settled, he pulled out his phone and checked it.

His stomach dropped when he saw it was a text from his mom. Without opening or answering it, Jaskier swiped so the notification would go away, and put his phone back in his pocket. That was something to be dealt with later, he decided.

***

The text left him feeling unsettled, and Jaskier was relieved to find Renfri in his apartment when he got home. She was sitting on the armchair, her legs slung over the armrest, smiling at her phone.

“Hello,” Jaskier greeted her cheerfully, dropping a kiss on her head before continuing on into the kitchen. She returned the greeting, absentmindedly, not looking up.

Rummaging around, Jaskier decided he wanted to make chicken for dinner. “Are you staying for food?” He called.

That finally summoned Renfri, who appeared a moment later and leaned against the doorframe. “Depends what you’re making.” She replied, as if her presence didn’t already imply that she wanted his company. He couldn’t help but regard her fondly, amused by his own ability to translate what she didn’t say.

“What?” Renfri asked, bristling.

“Just... You.” Jaskier continued to smile at her for a moment, before turning away. “Anyway. Greek chicken pitas work for you?” He could feel the weight of her gaze on his back, until she let out a breath through her nose, and he saw her nod out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, sure. What can I do?” Renfri asked, coming up beside him. Wordlessly, he slid over a cucumber and his vegetable cutting board. She started slicing it as Jaskier started preparing the meat.

As the chicken cooked, they retired to the living room. They exchanged stories of their day; Jaskier speaking of weird flavour combinations someone tried, which Renfri replied bemoaning the arguments that erupted between her students.

“Why did I decide to teach kindergarten again?” Renfri asked, dropping her head against the back of the armchair.

“Because you don’t get along with anyone who has an actual developed personality, so it’s easier for you to work with kids.” Jaskier teased. She kicked out at his ankle, but having expected that response, he pulled his legs up onto the couch.

“At least I have a  _ real  _ job.” Renfri snipped back.

“Don’t be rude.” Jaskier chided, even though he knew Renfri was joking; she had been a barista when they first met. He was grateful for his job, still glad that Triss had given it to him, despite his empty resume. That train of thought led to him thinking about  _ why _ he needed the work, and then to remembering the text from his mom. The smile dropped off his face.

In an abrupt movement, Jaskier stood and went into the kitchen, under the guise of checking the chicken. A moment later, Renfri came to stand beside him. She gave him a hip check, silent apology in her gaze, incorrectly taking responsibility for his shift in mood.

He knew his responding smile was weak, especially when it led Renfri to going, “What?”

“Just...” Jaskier sighed, looking down and away. “Heard from the family today. Haven’t quite figured out how to reply.” She brought a hand up to his shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze in reassurance.

“Anyway.” He said briskly, clapping his hands together. “Are you ready for band practice tomorrow? Jess’ sister is out of town, so we won’t bother her for once when we take over her basement.”

Renfri stared at him for a moment longer, clearly weighing whether to press him for more, before letting the earlier subject drop. “Yeah, I saw that Lily was trying to get us another gig...” The evening continued comfortably along, thoroughly distracting him, and Jaskier was once more glad for the twists of fate that had led Renfri into his life.


	3. Two can play at that game

The weekend had rolled around again, and for once, Jaskier had the day off. He still woke up in good time, and met Renfri at their favourite breakfast place. Never mind that they had just seen each other the evening before.

Once they put in their orders for pancakes and such, a comfortable silence fell. On the table, Renfri’s phone vibrated, flashing up a new text. Jaskier eyed it as a grin crept over his face. “Who’s texting you this early?”

“No one.” Renfri replied immediately, grabbing her phone. She took a moment to read the text, and began to smile.

Underneath the table, Jaskier nudged his foot against hers. “Must be someone pretty special, to make you smile like that.” He had an idea of who it was, but best friend duty meant it was up to him to tease Renfri, just a bit.

Her ears flushed pink as she sent a reply, and put the phone back down. “It’s Ciri.” She admitted, before continuing, “No, stop, don’t even.” Renfri jabbed a finger at him. “Stop it.”

His grin widened. “Stop what? I’m not doing anything.”

“Ugh.” Renfri replied, with feeling. “I can  _ feel _ how smug you are. It’s not like you have anything to do with this, beyond pushing me to start talking to her.”

_ And telling her to text you the next day, _ Jaskier thought to himself, with, yes, some smugness. He didn’t plan on telling Renfri that, though it would be nice to include in his future best man speech, if Renfri and Ciri ever got married...

The waitress stopped by, dropping off two cups of coffee, small containers of milk and creamer, and sugar. They thanked her, and started preparing their drinks (Renfri took only one cream; Jaskier preferred his half made of milk and sugar).

“Anyway.” Renfri said. “Ciri mentioned you’re always staring at Geralt.”

It genuinely took Jaskier a moment to remember who Geralt was. “Oh! The one who was visiting.” He shrugged, shameless. “Man is ridiculously good looking, what can I say?”

“He’s moving here.” Renfri returned. “To spend more time with Ciri.”

Taken aback, Jaskier blinked. “And why is Ciri here again?” He knew she was a student, but couldn’t quite remember where she was in her education.

“She’s doing her masters in history.” Renfri said with a shrug. “She isn’t sure whether she’s going to get her phD or if she’ll look for work with... whatever the hell you need a masters in history for, I don’t know.”

“So she’s staying in town, then?” Jaskier pressed, feeling a pang of guilt at the thought of getting Renfri involved with a student who was going to end up leaving.

Another shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe?” Renfri tapped the fingers of her left hand against the tabletop as she thought. “I guess they have a family friend who lives here, so... Wouldn’t be the worst place for her and Geralt to settle.”

Nodding slowly, Jaskier gave a hum of agreement. “That is kind of him, to come here in order to be close to her, for the time being.”

“I guess.” Renfri was frowning, clearly turning over something in her mind. “Ciri wants to play matchmaker between you and Geralt.” She said, after a moment, apparently having decided that saying so wasn’t betraying Ciri’s confidence.

That surprised a laugh out of Jaskier. “I’m pretty sure Geralt barely gives me any thought. Is he even interested in men?”

“Would you be interested, if he was?” There was something intent in her gaze as Renfri stared at Jaskier, waiting for his reply.

Now it was Jaskier’s turn to shrug. He was single, had been for several years. Some men, and some women, had passed through his life and his bed, but no one had really caught his fancy. “I don’t know anything about him, other than his drink order, and his relation to Ciri. But I’m not uninterested, I suppose.”

Renfri snorted. “I’m blown away by your enthusiasm.” She said, dryly.

“Oh, fuck off.” Jaskier said easily, sticking his tongue out at her. Renfri rolled her eyes, smiling reluctantly.

Their food finally showed up, and as they ate, conversation shifted to plans for the afternoon’s band practice. It was only later, after they parted ways for the time being, that Jaskier realized how Renfri never really mentioned how exactly it was going between her and Ciri. It made him glad that he’d remained similarly vague when she questioned him on Geralt.

***

Post breakfast, Jaskier spent some time being a functional adult; he got groceries, did some meal prep, and even managed to tidy up his apartment some. Cleaning was made even more difficult by how Patches seemed to be constantly underfoot as he attempted it.

Finally, as it slid into late afternoon, he caught the bus out to the house that Jess shared with her sisters. Jaskier didn’t quite get it; why they and their partners all lived together, but all families were different, he supposed.

Lily answered the door when he knocked. “Hey Jas — ” She started to say, before interrupting herself, going, “Ey! Pepper! No!” Bending down, she barely managed to catch a black cat who’d been making a dash for freedom. “He got out back a few nights ago, and ever since, he’s been trying to get out again.” Lily rolled her eyes, holding the completely unrepentant cat in her arms.

“Poor Pepper.” Jaskier joked, as Lily stepped aside so he could come into the house. “I’m fortunate, I suppose, that Patches only escaped once, and my neighbours across the way have a dog who hit the door barking. Traumatized him so he never did that again.”

“Ugh, lucky.” Lily grumbled, using one hand to close the door. “Renfri and Jess are both downstairs, Kit isn’t here yet.” She told him.

“Thanks.” Jaskier nodded, and headed to the basement door. He shut it behind him and made his way down the staircase. Renfri and Jess appeared to have fallen into stoic silence, as they both fiddled with their respective instruments. They looked up when Jaskier came into view, and everyone exchanged hellos.

While they waited for Kit, Jaskier and Renfri started bickering about a song they were working on. It stayed good natured, though, and they had reached a compromise by the time Kit appeared.

“Sorry!” They began with, flustered. “I missed my first bus, and then the one after that was late, and, just, ugh. Public transit, why.” 

“It's fine.” Jess shrugged, unbothered. “It happens.”

“Okay!” Jaskier clapped his hands together, and began going over what him and Renfri had brainstormed that morning. They practiced a few songs, and after that, Renfri produced chords for a cover she wanted to try. 

Jaskier scanned over the lyrics and grinned. “Is this for Ciri?”

“No.” Renfri said quickly; too quickly. Kit giggled and even Jess cracked a smile. “Okay, maybe. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

He held up his hands. “I won’t. I think it’s sweet.” Renfri scrunched up her face, clearly unhappy with that word being applied to her. Jaskier picked up his guitar and started playing, feeling his way through the song.

Halfway through, Lily joined the group. She waited until the song ended to talk about how she managed to track down someone who would let them use his equipment to record an EP. That led into a planning session over what songs would be best to include.

They hadn’t settled on a track list by the time they needed to take a break for food. Jess’ younger brother, Chris, had made dinner for the group. After eating, everyone took it easy until it was time for them to make their respective trips home.

“Let me know if anything happens with you and Ciri.” Jaskier teased Renfri, as she was leaving. She rolled her eyes, but Jaskier knew that she would. He made his own way back to his apartment, humming as he put his guitar away and did various chores.

It had been a good day, Jaskier decided, as he got ready for bed.

***

When Jaskier woke up the next morning, it was from a frustrating dream that reminded him of how long it’d been since he had slept with anyone. Maybe that was why during work, Jaskier found his mind drifting to what Renfri had said the previous day.

It was surprising, now that he thought of it, that Ciri was invested in Geralt’s love life. She couldn’t be that indifferent to him, then, right? And, well, Jaskier  _ hoped _ that Ciri wouldn’t wish for Jaskier to date a complete asshole.

The bell above the café door rang. As if summoned by Jaskier’s thoughts, Geralt came in. In the time it took for him to approach the counter, Jaskier had mostly managed to get over his initial panic. “Hello!” Jaskier said, a touch too loudly and cheerfully. Managing to keep his wince internal, he continued, “Your usual?” God, Geralt was  _ gorgeous _ , a distant part of his mind sighed.

Geralt fixed him with a look that said he was deeply suspicious of the fact that Jaskier remembered his order. “Yes.” He begrudgingly said after an uncomfortably long pause.

“Right.” Jaskier spun on his heel and got the drink together. Geralt paid (including a decent tip, Jaskier was pleased to note), and then made his way to Ciri’s usual table. It was thankfully empty. Trying to be surreptitious, Jaskier watched Geralt from the corner of his eye.

Once he had sat down, Geralt produced a mass market paperback and started to read it. With a jolt of pleased surprise, Jaskier realized he recognized the cover as belonging to an urban fantasy series of which he was also a fan.

...And then Jaskier realized he’d been staring a touch too long. As if sensing the eyes upon him, Geralt looked up from the book, meeting Jaskier’s gaze. He raised an eyebrow.

Immediately glancing away, Jaskier hoped the burning in his face didn’t mean he was blushing. He busied himself, and when he risked another glance, saw that Geralt had gone back to reading.

Thankfully, a group of friends descended upon the café, and Jaskier was soon distracted by preparing their various orders. By the time they were taken care of, and Jaskier was able to look over again, the table was empty.

Jaskier tried to tell himself that was a good thing, that it meant he wouldn’t have any further opportunity to embarrass himself in front of Geralt. Not that Jaskier particularly cared what the other man thought of him. Not at all.


	4. Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Content warning:** social drinking / inebriation. I don't think anything else needs to be warned for? Please do let me know if I missed something!

Nothing much happened over the week; the biggest event of note was Ciri and Renfri having a coffee date at The Hideout, Thursday evening. The date was slightly hampered by the fact that both Jaskier and Geralt were not so subtly hovering around the two women. Well, Jaskier was behind the counter and across the café, at least. Geralt, on the other hand, sat  _ very conspicuously _ at the next table over.

At one point, Geralt snorted derisively at something Renfri said, leading to Ciri snapping at him to go away. He skulked off and lurked outside, visible through the front window. Then, in deference to the cold, Geralt came back in, hesitated, and then took a seat at a table by the window.

He glared down at the tabletop, snow melting from his head as he shrugged out of his coat. Something about his posture tugged at Jaskier’s heartstrings, so Jaskier brought over a cup of coffee.

“I didn’t order anything.” Geralt stated, looking suspiciously at Jaskier.

“On the house.” Jaskier shrugged. “I have a food and drink allotment anyway.” When Geralt continued to frown, he pressed, “It’s decaf, so you’ll actually be able to sleep tonight. Most importantly, it’s hot.”

Geralt continued to stare. Jaskier held his gaze for a long moment, before giving a mental sigh and turning around. He went back to behind the counter, just in time to see Geralt take a cautious sip, and then another one. Looking away, off into the distance, Jaskier smiled to himself.

***

The next day, over text, Renfri gave Jaskier a play-by-play of her date, even though he’d been there to witness it. He didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm though, and just listened while providing the appropriate reactions. And then:

**Renfri:** I invited her to come out with us tonight 

The band was planning to take the night off from practicing and go out for drinks instead. Glad his friend couldn’t see him, Jaskier raised his eyebrows. They had a fairly strict ‘no partner’s rule’ (which mostly just applied to Jess and Lily) for nights out. He hesitated for a moment, before saying:

**Jaskier:** If you bring someone along, then Jess will want to bring Lily

**Renfri:** That’s fine. You just don’t like Lily because she talks you into drinking jägerbombs

**Jaskier:** So you’ll subject Kit and I to third-wheeling, then

There was a pause of several minutes, before Renfri replied again:

**Renfri:** Jaskier... Please?

It was the ‘please’ that got him. Renfri rarely asked him for anything. Jaskier sighed, and mentally prepared for that Saturday to be a write-off.

**Jaskier:** Tell Ciri she’s buying the first round

***

Entering the bar from the cold outside was a relief. Stomping snow off his boots, Jaskier scanned the crowd until he saw a flash of Ciri’s distinct hair, and headed towards it. Her and Renfri were sitting close together, heads tilted in, foreheads almost touching.

For a moment, Jaskier lingered back, afraid of interrupting the moment. Then he shook it off, and stepped up to the table, knocking on it. “Don’t you two look cozy.” He said lightly, taking off his jacket and putting it on the hanger attached to the booth.

Renfri looked vaguely perturbed to have been caught out, but Ciri just smiled back. “Hi Jaskier!”

“I feel like I should be taking your drink order.” Jaskier teased, sliding into the other side of the booth. “Did Renfri tell you—”

“—That you want me to buy? Yeah, she mentioned it.” Ciri laughed. “I don’t mind getting the first round! After that, though...”

“Fair enough!” Jaskier replied. “So, how are your classes going?”

And off Ciri went, describing which courses she was taking, and the classes she was a TA for. It lasted until Kit showed up, who arrived in the middle of Ciri describing one of her medieval history classes. For reasons Jaskier was unclear on, it somehow segued into a conversation about musicals. ...Not that Jaskier ever needed a reason to talk about musicals.

Everyone (well, minus Renfri) were fiercely debating the merits of the musical versions of Heathers versus Mean Girls when Lily and Jess showed up. “Aaay! If it isn’t my favourite people.” Lily said cheerfully, before squinting at Ciri. “Wait, I don’t know you, but you do look familiar...”

“I’m...” Ciri hesitated, searching for the right words.

“She’s my girlfriend.” Renfri announced. Ciri looked over at her in surprise, and a shade of vulnerability came over Renfri. “...If that’s okay with her, that is.”

“Very okay.” Ciri replied, smiling brilliantly as she leaned forward and kissed Renfri.

“Aww!” Lily and Kit cooed in tandem, watching the couple. Jess rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth ticked up. And Jaskier was torn between feeling happy for his best friend, and feeling weird about being there for that moment.

As the two women separated, Renfri seemed to remember that they had an audience. “Anyway!” She said a touch too loudly, flustered, but didn’t have anything to follow it with.

“First round!” Ciri supplied. “My treat.”

“Jägerbombs for me and Jas!” Lily immediately announced.

“No!” Jaskier shot back. She gave him puppy dog eyes and he wavered. “...Fine.” Immediately, the puppy dog eyes disappeared as Lily switched back to her gleeful self, and did a victory fist-pump.

Briefly, the group got sidetracked, debating if they wanted food, and then whether to get nachos or potato skins. Slyly, Ciri volunteered to get both (despite both Jaskier and Renfri telling her that she didn’t have to). After collecting drink requests from the rest of the group, Ciri headed towards the bar, with Renfri accompanying her to help carry everything.

“How long have those two been a thing?” Lily asked, nodding in the direction of the two women.

It took Jaskier a moment to remember. The month was going by so fast, they were already three weeks into November. “They first connected after our last show, so... Two weeks? It’s very new.”

“They’re cute.” Lily decided.

“Right?” Kit agreed, with a wistful sigh. “I feel like, extra single around them, if that’s even possible.” They went on to bemoan the state of queer dating via apps, which in particular seemed to fascinate Jess. Her and Lily had been together since high school, and so she’d never used an app. Jaskier had his own experiences, which led to him and Kit comparing the weirdest conversation starters that people had tried on them.

Eventually, Ciri and Renfri returned, bearing food and drink. Things got a bit blurry for Jaskier after that, even though he made sure to eat before taking the shot. He blamed Lily. At one point, the table had cleared out so it was just him and Ciri.

“So...” Jaskier began. “If you hate Geralt so much, why are you trying to set me up with him?”

“I don’t  _ hate _ him.” Ciri huffed, sounding very young. “Not really. Anyway, I just figured, y’know, if he was dating you, it’d get him off my back.”

That wasn't the answer that Jaskier was expecting. He frowned at her, his inebriated mind slowly processing the words. “That’s... what?” Something about the idea of getting caught between Ciri and Geralt with their fraught relationship, made him uncomfortable. Geralt was good-looking, but he wasn’t  _ that _ hot.

He must have said the last part out loud, because Ciri gave him a strange look. She seemed to be caught between offense on Geralt’s behalf, and feeling vaguely disgusted because that was her paternal figure that Jaskier was talking about.

In the end, Ciri shook it off. “Anyway.” She said, again (she had also had a fair amount to drink). “I can’t believe you, of all people, said I should get all the rounds!” Ciri snickered. “Pretty sure your trust fund is way bigger than mine.”

Before she started speaking, Jaskier had taken another swig of his drink. At Ciri’s words, the taste of ashes filled his mouth. He swallowed heavily. “I...”

Something in his tone caught Ciri’s attention, and she looked at him, curious. “I’m not bothered your parents didn’t keep in contact.” Ciri reassured him, incorrectly guessing at what had upset him. “Most people didn’t! Which is fine.” She shrugged. “I’m better off without them.”

Despite the situation, Jaskier felt himself start to smile. “A good attitude to have.” He agreed, saluting Ciri with his glass. She grinned back and mirrored the action.

Renfri reappeared, carrying two glasses of water, which she pushed to Jaskier and Ciri. “Drink this.” She told them. “You’ll thank me in the morning.”

“She likes to pretend she’s tough,” Jaskier confided in Ciri, talking in a stage whisper. “But she’s really got a soft nougaty center. Like a Mars bar.”

Ciri lapsed into giggles while Renfri glared at Jaskier, before she pushed the glass closer to Ciri. “Drink.” Renfri repeated. “Both of you. Idiots.” She huffed, with a fond smile giving her away.

“You’re the best.” Jaskier told her, eyes going misty, as he picked up the water and sipped from it. Ciri made a noise of agreement from where she had her face half shoved into the glass.

“I think we’ve lost Lily.” Jess announced, as her and her girlfriend returned from the bathroom. Lily was slumped against Jess’ side, halfway asleep already.

“These two are about done for the night too.” Renfri agreed with a long suffering sigh. “Where did Kit go?”

“They slipped out after the food was gone.” Jess replied with a shrug. Kit technically wasn’t supposed to drink so they often left early, especially when other people were taking shots. “They texted the group-chat though, they got home okay.”

“Okay, good.” Renfri nodded. “Do you need any help getting Lily home?”

“No, I’ve got it.” Jess replied, having perfected the process over the years. “Good luck with those two.” She smirked, before raising her voice slightly. “Goodnight Jaskier. Nice to meet you, Ciri.”

Groggily, Jaskier and Ciri bid them goodbye. Renfri watched the two women leave, before turning back to her best friend and her girlfriend. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “This isn’t going to be fun.”

“Love youuuu.” Jaskier slurred as he slumped over the sticky surface of the table. Ciri lapsed into another fit of giggles.


	5. A quote about death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Content warnings:** Hangover(s), academia mention, discussion about death/loss, allusion to past character deaths, brief allusion of suicidal ideation, complicated families/expectations (chapter isn't as much of a downer as those warnings make it sound, haha).

Despite his drawn blinds, Jaskier’s bedroom was way too bright when he opened his eyes. It took him a minute to realize that he was woken up by an alarm on his phone going off. Though Jaskier supposed that he was grateful that his past self even remembered to set an alarm before falling asleep. 

Waiting for him on the bedside table was a glass of water and a bottle of acetaminophen. The sight made him smile as he struggled into a sitting position and grabbed his phone from where it was charging. After finishing the water (which had gone slightly stale overnight), taking two pills, and turning off the alarm, Jaskier sent a text to Renfri:

**Jaskier:** Thanks for the water etc. You’re a goddess among men

**Renfri:** I know

**Renfri:** I can’t believe you’re awake before noon

**Jaskier:** ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Jaskier:** Did you get Ciri home okay?

**Renfri:** She stayed over at my place

**Jaskier:** !!!

**Renfri:** Not like that! We just shared a bed. 

**Jaskier:** Did you at least offer to sleep on the couch?

**Renfri:** Yes, mom

Her reply made Jaskier snort, which turned out to be a terrible thing for his headache.

**Jaskier:** Ugh, ok, I need more water. And maybe some food, if I’m feeling daring

**Renfri:** Don’t burn down the kitchen

**Jaskier:** Yes, mom

Once he managed to drag himself out of bed, Jaskier barely avoided tripping over his cat. Patches, desperate to be fed, was circling around Jaskier’s legs and meowing loudly. “Yes, yes.” Jaskier muttered, “I’m a terrible owner and you’re skin and bones, I know.”

After feeding Patches, Jaskier considered the contents of his kitchen for a long moment. With a “fuck it” said under his breath, he grabbed some pop tarts and put them in the toaster, because he was an  _ adult _ .

***

By the time the afternoon rolled around, Jaskier felt nearly human again, thanks to the liberal consumption of caffeine and more food. He was lazing on the couch, Patches in his lap, when his phone lit up with a call from Triss. Raising his eyebrows, Jaskier answered it. “Hello?”

“Hi Jaskier...” From the apologetic tone of Triss’ voice, he already knew what she was going to say. “Chrys called in sick... Do you think you’d be after to cover for them this afternoon? I’ll take you off Monday, if you do.”

He didn’t really want to, but... Well, he felt bad for Triss. “Okay, sure.” Plus it didn’t really matter to him; Jaskier didn’t have plans either way.

“Great! Thank you so much.” Triss said. After thanking him several times more, she hung up.

With a groan, Jaskier dragged himself up to get dressed in real clothes. On the way to his room, he texted Renfri, bemoaning his niceness in agreeing to take on the shift. She just responded with an “lmao”.

***

Jaskier showed up to the Hideout, trading off with Triss. About ten minutes into his shift, he was surprised to see Renfri and Ciri show up, arm in arm.  “Hi?” He said, as they got to the counter. They must have come to keep him company. Something else occurred to him. “Have you been together all day?”

“Maybe...” Renfri hedged, looking embarrassed. She glared at Jaskier when he started to laugh. “What?”

“You’re being such a lesbian cliché right now.” He snorted. At Renfri’s glare, Jaskier quickly realized his mistake and backtracked. “Sorry, sorry. A  _ sapphic _ cliché. Besides, I think it’s sweet.” He noticed Ciri looking between them in confusion. “It’s because Renfri is bi- _ furious _ .” Jaskier said in a stage whisper.

“Anyway.” Renfri said impatiently. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking our drink orders?”

“I know you want a caramel latte,” Jaskier replied immediately, familiar with Renfri’s typical order. “And I’m going to assume Ciri wants her usual?”

“Actually, I’ll have the same as Renfri. That sounds really good.” Using her free hand, Ciri covered her mouth as she yawned, before she said, “I could use the caffeine, I’m still recovering from last night.”

“Fair enough!” Jaskier started preparing their drinks. “Who’s paying?” He asked over his shoulder, and bit back a smile as Renfri and Ciri simultaneously volunteered to do so. In the end, Renfri won out, since Ciri paid for more drinks the night before.

As Jaskier set down their order, Ciri disentangled herself from Renfri to draw out a large, strange looking book from her messenger bag. It was thick but spiral bound, and had some kind of code on the cover.

“What on Earth is that?” Jaskier asked, peering at it.

Ciri looked surprised. “It’s a course-pack.” She explained. When Jaskier continued to stare at her blankly, she clarified; “A collection of things I have to read for a class I’m taking. You buy them from the university bookstore, they cost a fortune.”

“Jaskier dropped out of college.” Renfri drawled, picking up the drinks. “The world of academia is a mystery to him, like so many things.” In retaliation, Jaskier stuck his tongue out at her, making Ciri laugh.

“Just for that, I’m not giving you my staff discount.” Jaskier huffed, despite the fact that Renfri had already paid, and had received said discount. She smirked at him; He rolled his eyes and made shooing motions at them both. Together, the two women moved over to Ciri’s usual table.

When Renfri sat down, she pulled a hardcover novel, whose cover art featured a woman knight and a load of skeletons who were jamming out. Opening it to her bookmark, she started to read, while Ciri went through class readings with a highlighter.

As usual, the afternoon was fairly chaotic at first, with a rush of customers, before things slowed down a bit. When the café cleared out somewhat, Ciri wandered up to the counter. Jaskier, who had just brought back a load of used cups to be washed, set them down and came over to meet her. “Aren’t you supposed to be studying?” He asked, leaning his elbows on the counter and resting his chin on a hand.

“Ugh, I need a break.” Ciri replied, resting her hip against the counter. “I can’t retain that much info in one sitting, so I thought I’d come over and bother you.”

“Bother away.” Jaskier said magnanimously, gesturing with his free hand. He had shrugged out of his long-sleeved sweater earlier, and was now only wearing a t-shirt and an apron with the cafe’s logo on the chest.

Ciri smiled, and her eyes were drawn to a line of ink on the inside of Jaskier’s arm. “I didn’t know you had tattoos! What does it say?”

He gave a hum of confirmation. “I have a few. That one’s the short version of a quote I particularly like. It says ‘death is not the greatest loss’; the full quote, which I couldn’t get for obvious reasons, is ‘Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.’ It was said by a man named Norman Cousins.”

Her smile dimmed as Ciri began to frown. “That’s a terrible quote.”

Jaskier’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “Excuse me?” He asked, caught between offense and amusement at her gall.

“Who do you know who’s died?” Ciri pressed.

It began to dawn on him  _ why _ Ciri was upset. But it was too late to backtrack now. “I... Some great-grandparents, and my grandparents. I wasn’t close to any of them though.” Jaskier admitted. He didn’t bother adding that he hadn’t been home when his childhood pets died, because those definitely weren’t the level of loss that they were discussing here.

“Exactly.” Ciri snapped. “It’s an easy thing to say, when — ” Her voice went thick and her eyes grew misty. Self conscious, she looked away and cleared her throat. “Sorry. Sorry, I just..” Ciri inhaled and exhaled, breath shuddering out her chest. She displayed her wrist. There were words there, Jaskier hadn’t realized, that read ‘wait for it’.

Voice still shaky, Ciri said quietly, “And if there's a reason I'm still alive, when everyone who loves me has died, I'm willing to wait for it.”

A lump rose in Jaskier’s throat, and he tried to swallow it down. “I’m sorry too. I...” He blew out a frustrated breath. “I got mine because... My parents had an idea of who they wanted me to be, what kind of person. And when I tried to be him...” Jaskier grimaced, and his voice lowered. “I wanted to die.” In a more normal volume, “So. I made a plan, I moved out, and... I’m working on trying to build the life I want.”

Reaching for Jaskier’s free hand with her own. Ciri gave it a gentle squeeze. She smiled understandingly at him, seemingly forgiving him for sticking his foot in his mouth earlier. “Renfri’s mentioned you’ve got some kind of Master Plan,” Her voice aimed for levity, almost getting there. “What is it exactly?”

“Oh, nothing too elaborate.” Jaskier replied, matching her tone. “Achieve financial independence, find a good man, marry him and settle down. Why do you look so surprised?”

“I just... didn’t peg you for someone who wanted that kind of thing.” Ciri admitted.

Jaskier snorted. “Very kind of you.” He teased, before sobering slightly as he gave a shrug. “I’m a romantic, I suppose, when you come down to it. I’m looking for my forever person. I just hope I’ll know him when I find him. Or her.”

Thinking it over, Ciri slowly nodded. “I hope so too.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway. Can I get some water, please?”

“Of course.” Rather than grabbing a bottle of water, Jaskier filled a glass, dropped in some ice, and passed it to her. With a subdued ‘thanks’, Ciri accepted it and returned to her and Renfri’s table. 

Feeling exhausted by the whole exchange, Jaskier let his head hang for a moment as he closed his eyes and sighed. Then he straightened back up, gathering himself again. He  _ was _ still working, after all.


	6. Anonymous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello!
> 
> No warnings needed for this chapter, I think. If you do think I should add any content warnings, please do let me know!
> 
> Also! Hey! If you're reading this, thank you for reading my story! Though it would mean a lot to me if you could take a sec to leave a comment. Let me know what you like about the story so far, or what you'd like to see happen next, or something you're looking forward to in future chapters! Thank you in advance. :)

“What happened between you and Ciri?” 

The sudden question made him jump. “God, Renfri! Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Jaskier chided her, clutching at his chest, where he could feel his heart pounding.

“Oh don’t be a baby.” Renfri replied, swatting at his shoulder. “You shouldn’t have been spacing out in the first place.” 

Jaskier grimaced. She had a point, unfortunately. In his defense, his caffeine from earlier was wearing off. “Why don’t you just ask Ciri instead?” He deflected, going to make himself a coffee.

“I did.” Renfri crossed her arms and levelled an unimpressed look at him. “And now I’m asking you.”

“We... had a small disagreement.” Jaskier admitted, as he added a great deal of milk and sugar to his drink. “Over some words and the uses thereof. But it’s fine. We’re fine.”

She squinted at him suspiciously for a long moment, before nodding, slowly. “Are you okay?”

Taken aback, but heartened by the care shown, Jaskier managed a smile. “It... wasn’t an easy conversation, but I’m fine, really. I’d rather not poke at that particular wound again anytime soon, but, still.”

Another moment of consideration, before Renfri sighed. “Okay.” She said simply. “Don’t stay up too late tonight. If I see you on discord or PSN, I _will_ yell at you.”

“Yes mom.” Jaskier teased, earning a flick to his forehead before Renfri rejoined Ciri. Slowly, his smile faded and was replaced by a tiredness. He just had to make it to the end of his shift, then he would have two glorious days off.

***

The last few hours of his shift passed in a haze, but eventually, Jaskier was able to head home. He made a quick dinner, leaving his dishes for the next day, and got ready for bed. Moments after getting to bed, he was asleep.

***

Sunday, Jaskier managed to pass the day without ever leaving his apartment. His sole contact with the outside world was talking to his friends via text. Patches seemed pleased with the situation, judging by how he was hanging around.

That, or his internal clock had gone off, and he thought Jaskier would feed him extra. Fifty-fifty chance, really.

By Monday, Jaskier was going slightly stir crazy. Going out to run errands helped, as did Renfri coming over in the evening. They even worked on a song, which always put Jaskier in an excellent mood.

When he was back at work on Tuesday, he was well rested and recovered from that weekend. Ciri didn’t come by, but Geralt did. Jaskier found himself constantly glancing at the man out of the corner of his eyes; God, he was ridiculously good looking.

Jaskier shouldn’t have been surprised, really, when an unfamiliar man sidled up and asked if Jaskier knew Geralt’s usual order. Jaskier blinked and focused in on him. “Yes...?” Jaskier said slowly, deeply confused by the question. “Why?”

“I want to buy him a drink. And...” The man glanced at the baking display. “A ginger molasses cookie. He seems like the type who’d like that.”

Jaskier hoped he managed to keep a neutral expression on his face, when his internal monologue was a loop of “what the fuck”. Part of Jaskier was tempted to lie and say Geralt preferred some overly sweet monstrosity, but... It shouldn’t matter to him, anyway, if some guy wanted to try and chat Geralt up. He went to go put the order together.

“A black coffee, and one ginger molasses cookie.” Jaskier announced, setting down the order and naming the price of it. After the man paid, he hesitated, glancing from Geralt to Jaskier.

“Can you bring it to him? Tell him it was from me. I don’t want him to think I’ve done anything to it.” The man asked, which was not unreasonable. “Oh, my name’s Tony.” He added.

First, Jaskier checked to see if there were any customers that needed him. Sadly, there wasn’t. With an inward sigh, he nodded. “That I can do.”

The man - Tony - returned to his table while Jaskier brought the food and drink over to Geralt. He lingered awkwardly next to him, and when Geralt refused to look up from his book, cleared his throat.

“What.” Geralt asked flatly, finally acknowledging Jaskier.

“A guy wanted me to bring you your usual - plus a cookie, with his compliments.” Jaskier presented them both.

Geralt looked at them, then back up to Jaskier. “I don’t want it.”

That wasn’t surprising, really. And Jaskier should be glad. It wasn’t like he _wanted_ Geralt and whatever-his-name-was to hit it off. But... Well. That was another point in the ‘Geralt is probably straight’ column.

“Right.” Jaskier said absent-mindedly, and there was something in his tone that made Geralt give him a curious look. Or maybe that was just wistful thinking on Jaskier’s part. Either way, he nodded at Geralt, before he detoured to that guy’s table - Tony, right - and set both things down. “Alas, your advance has been spurned.” Jaskier announced, a touch too cheerfully, probably.

Tony sighed, but nodded. “Worth a shot! Thanks for trying.”

The “you’re welcome” was purely reflexive, before Jaskier made his way back behind the counter. Once there, he made an effort to avoid staring at Geralt, or to think about him. It wasn’t like Jaskier even knew anything about him - other than his book preferences, and a smattering of tidbits picked up from Ciri.

It came as something of a shock when he blinked and Geralt was suddenly there at the counter. “Can... I help you?” Jaskier asked cautiously. Usually, after Geralt hit some unknown quota, he’d return his mug to the designated tray before leaving the café.

There was a pause, as Geralt stared at him, apparently searching for... something in Jaskier’s face. “Hm.” is all Geralt said, before he set his mug down on the counter, nodded at Jaskier, and then left.

 _What the fuck_ , Jaskier mouthed to himself, as he watched Geralt’s retreating back.

***

“Does Geralt ever talk about me?”

Ciri looked up, a smile tugging at her lips. “Hello Jaskier, it’s good to see you too. How have you been? I’ve been great, thanks for asking.”

Despite his nervousness, Jaskier had to laugh. “Don’t be dramatic, that’s my job. And we had a lovely chat earlier, when I made your drink, remember? I asked how you were then, and I imagine it hasn’t changed in the time that you’ve been here.”

“I suppose you have a point.” Ciri said, tilting her head in acknowledgement of it. “As for your question...” Her smile faltered. “We... don’t talk about things like that.”

Now that Jaskier thought about it, he realized that other than when Ciri and Renfri had their date, he hadn’t seen Ciri and Geralt in the café together. He bit back the impulse to apologize, not entirely sure what he’d be apologizing for anyway.

Apparently sensing Jaskier’s discomfort from how he shifted on his feet, Ciri smiled weakly, “It’s fine.” She said with a shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I can tell you that I don’t think he has a type, not really. I’ve never seen a pattern to the women he’s dated.”

...And that was another tick for the ‘Geralt is probably straight’ column. “Well, from the sounds of it, I’m probably not his type.” Jaskier felt compelled to point out.

To her credit, Ciri did take a moment to consider this. “Where have you been running into him?”

“...Here?” Jaskier was confused by the question. “He’s practically a regular now, though there’s no real pattern for when he comes in, I don’t think.”

“Huh.” Ciri said under her breath, as she finally brightened up. “That’s a good sign, I think.”

“I don’t see what it indicates, other than a reliance on caffeine.” Jaskier huffed, trying to squash the hope rising in his chest.

“No, think about it.” Ciri pressed. “There’s... what, three other cafes in walking distance? Not to mention there’s the chain places a bit further out. _And_ ,” She pressed on, despite Jaskier’s skeptical looks, “There's the fact that he could make coffee at home anytime. But he _chooses_ to come here.”

“He could just prefer the cafe’s roast.” Jaskier pointed out.

Ciri huffed and rolled her eyes. “Why are you even asking me if you’re not going to believe what I say?” She asked.

Chastised, Jaskier nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry. That’s a good point.”

“Of course it is.” Ciri dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Anyway.” She said pointedly. “Now it’s my turn. How’d you meet Renfri?”

The temptation was there to make a joke of it, but, well, one good turn deserves another. “We met at college.” Jaskier told her. “I’m a few years older than her; I managed to waste a couple years before my parents insisted that I go to school. We met at a gender studies class, about queer theory. According to her, I was the least annoying person in her seminar. We just... clicked.”

“I thought you dropped out of college?” Ciri asked.

“I did, after a semester.” Jaskier replied with a shrug. “But I hung around campus, and Renfri let me bother her between classes. And she _hated_ her roommates, so she’d hide out at my apartment instead.” He sighed, fondly. “That was... God, almost ten years ago. I helped keep her sane during her teaching program, and...” 

Then Jaskier hesitated, not sure of how to phrase things without betraying Renfri’s confidences. “When she was offered the job here,” He said carefully, “I came with her. There really wasn’t anything tying me there anymore anyway, and... I didn’t want to lose touch with her. And god knows someone has to make sure that girl doesn’t take herself too seriously.”

“...You’re a good friend, Renfri’s lucky to have you.” Ciri told him, reaching for one of his hand’s and giving it a soft squeeze. There was something wistful in her voice.

“That’s very kind of you to say, thank you.” Jaskier smiled, touched. It occurred to him that he usually only ever saw Ciri on her own, or with Renfri. He wondered who else made up her social circle. Jaskier hesitated, tempted to ask about it, but managed to bite his tongue. Maybe he’d bring it up to Renfri later.

“Anyway!” He clapped his hands together. “I am _technically_ working right now, so I should get back to that. Thank you for the lovely chat.” He doffed an imaginary hat at her, making Ciri giggle and give a half bow in response. Jaskier was still smiling to himself as he went back to the counter.


	7. Lone Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Content warning:** Light innuendo, mention of past character deaths, mention of social drinking.

The last few days had featured unseasonably warm weather. There was sunlight, for once, which led to melting snow. Jaskier decided to take advantage of it by spending some time in the park near the café. He sat on a bench in the middle of the park, glad that the wood of it had dried out from the sun.

His gloves were thin, with the different fabric for the fingertips that allowed him to still use his phone. Pulling it out, Jaskier navigated to his book app, and started reading a fic he had downloaded to his phone the night before.

As he read, he lost track of time, until a notification from discord distracted him. It was a direct message from a friend. He chatted with them for a bit, but eventually the conversation lulled. Pocketing his phone, Jaskier stretched and looked around the park.

It was mostly empty, which wasn’t surprising considering the season and the time of day. There was one other person, on the other side of the park from him. The person was walking a dog, and as they drew closer, Jaskier realized it was Geralt.

Unsure of what to do, Jaskier froze. He realized it was the first time he had seen Geralt outside of the café. Hoping it wouldn’t be too obvious, Jaskier watched the man approach, before looking down to the dog.

Instantly, his heart melted. The dog was a pit-bull mix, or maybe an American bulldog, with colouring that was a mix between light brown and white. They were cheerful, tail straight in the air and wagging slightly as they walked a bit in front of their owner.

There were several paths crisscrossing the park. The one that Geralt was walking down led him right by the bench where Jaskier was sitting. Swallowing back from nervousness, Jaskier shoved his hand in his pockets.

At first, it seemed like Geralt was going to veer onto the grass in order to avoid passing too close. Then he changed his mind and stayed on course.

“Hello!” Jaskier greeted, as the two got close. “I didn’t know you had a dog! What's their name?”

“...Hi.” Geralt replied after a pause, coming to a stop a few steps away. “Her name is Roach.” The dog’s tail wagged harder as she pranced up to Jaskier.

“Oh, aren’t you gorgeous,” Jaskier gushed, reaching out towards her, before pausing. “Can I pet her?”

“Go ahead.” Geralt nodded.

“What a good girl.” Cooing, Jaskier played with the dog’s ears before going to ruffle the fur around her neck. “Aren’t you a sweetheart, yes you are.” Looking over to Geralt, “Why on Earth is she named Roach, though?”

“It’s... a type of fish.” Geralt explained haltingly. “It’s a tradition in my family to name our pets after fish.”

Jaskier huffed. “Well that’s not the  _ worst _ pet name I’ve heard. Oh, she is beautiful though. Such a good girl.” Roach wiggled happily, settling her body to rest against Jaskier’s legs so she could stare up at him adoringly. Her long thin tail wagged frantically.

There was a brief pause, as Jaskier kept petting Roach. He glanced up to see Geralt staring at him. With a smile, Jaskier raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

“What are you doing here?” What should have been an innocuous question sounded like an accusation, coming from Geralt. He seemed to realize this, and grimaced. “Aren’t you cold?” He tacked on, awkwardly.

Biting back a laugh, Jaskier found himself grinning. “It isn’t that cold when you’re in the sun. Also, my shift at the café starts soon; I just wanted to get some fresh air and vitamin D. You can never get too much of the D.” He winked at Geralt, and was delighted when the other man seemed to  _ almost _ smile at that.

“Actually, I’m fairly sure too much would be fatal.” Geralt replied dryly.

“Point.” Jaskier laughed under his breath. “Though  _ anything _ is fatal, in a high enough dosage. What a way to go.” He gave an over dramatic sigh, gazing dreamily off into the distance. 

His hands had stilled on Roach, and the dog pawed at him, asking for more pets. “Ah, sorry love.” Jaskier apologized, going back to fussing over her. “I wish I had a treat to give her. She’s such a good girl.”

“Here.” Geralt reached into his pocket, which instantly garnered Roach’s attention. With laser focus, she watched Geralt pass something to Jaskier. 

Swallowing, Jaskier tried not to focus too much on the feeling of their fingers brushing together. “What on Earth is this?” He asked instead, squinting at the treat. It was a small almost round shape, vaguely orange and brown, and felt... dry.

“Dehydrated sweet potato.” Geralt explained with a shrug. “It’s more nutritious than commercial treats. Cheap and easy to make too. And she likes them.”

“Huh.” Jaskier whistled. “Roach!” Her attention snapped back to him, and she stared at him intently. “Here you go!” He gently tossed the morel, and she caught it out of the air, chowing down on the treat.

There was a pause as both men watched Roach eat, then sniff the ground, and Jaskier’s hand, searching for more food. When there was none to be found, she walked back over to Geralt, who absent-mindedly rested a hand on her head. “So you’re a dog person?” Geralt asked Jaskier.

Tapping his fingers restlessly on his legs, Jaskier shrugged. “Who doesn’t like dogs? I never got why people had to choose between cats and dogs though. I... grew up with both.” He cleared his throat and hoped the hesitation hadn’t been too obvious. “Anyway, I’ve got a cat right now, because cats are easier, especially with my work schedule.”

“I bring Roach to work with me,” Geralt admitted. “There’s a crate - it has a bed inside - in the garage. She mostly stays in there, or wanders around sometimes.”

“What do you do for work?” Jaskier asked, realizing he had no idea. 

“...I’m a mechanic.” Geralt replied.

“Oh! Very nice! I guess that means you’re good with your hands?” Jaskier joked with a wink. When Geralt rolled his eyes, he barreled on, undeterred. “I’ve been told I’m  _ very _ good with my hands. Comes with the territory of being a musician.”

“Hm.” was Geralt’s ever so eloquent response.

Jaskier bit back a sigh as an awkward silence fell. “Well!” He said brightly, checking the time of his phone. There was still fifteen minutes before he had to work, and the café wasn’t  _ that _ far of a walk, but, “I should get going. Good to meet you, Roach.” Jaskier cooed, before he nodded at Geralt. “And it was nice talking with you.” Which was mostly just a pleasantry, but, at least he had learned a few new things about Geralt.

“You too.” Geralt returned with a stiff nod, before saying, “Roach,” to get the dog’s attention. They continued on their way.

Standing, Jaskier lingered at the bench for a moment, so they wouldn’t be awkwardly walking in the same direction together. Once Geralt was on the sidewalk, turning left, away from the café, Jaskier began to walk to work.

***

Early into Jaskier’s shift, Ciri showed up, as she so often did these days. “I ran into Geralt and Roach at the park earlier.” Jaskier blurted out, as he made her a vanilla cappuccino (now that Ciri was coming by more often, she was exploring the Hideout’s menu).

“Oh?” Ciri asked, not sounding all that interested.

But Jaskier was dying to talk about the encounter with  _ someone _ , and who better than someone who knew Geralt? “I only got some words out of him when he was talking about Roach.” Jaskier huffed. “Also,” He tried to keep his light tone. “Pretty sure my flirting went unnoticed so if you’re still hoping that he’ll start dating me, you’re bound towards disappointment.”

“That’s just Geralt,” Ciri said dismissively. “He’s got a resting bitch... everything. The fact that he talked to you willingly is a good sign. He takes his whole... lone wolf thing, way too seriously. Even  _ I  _ barely know him.” There was uncharacteristic bitterness in her voice.

Jaskier raised his eyebrows, and hesitated, before asking, “Really?”

“Mmmhmm. It’s been...” Ciri paused, thinking. “Five years? Since he became my guardian. And he still barely talks to me, besides always asking how I am; how classes are going; if there’s anything new with me.”

Jaskier did some mental math. “You were sixteen, right? When...” He hesitated again, unsure of how to phrase it delicately.

“When my grandparents died. Yeah.” Ciri’s voice went flat, her eyes darkened; grief still present, summoned to the forefront by the memory. “I guess I should be glad he took me in at all, and that he didn’t throw me out when I turned eighteen.”

“How did that happen?” Jaskier asked. “Him becoming your guardian, I mean. You’re not related to each other at all, are you?” That was part of why it had been such a scandal; a single man, only twenty-eight, becoming entrusted with a teenaged girl and her sizable trust fund.

Ciri snorted. “It was a bet.”

“Excuse me?” Jaskier was sure he had heard wrong.

“They were eighteen, my dad was out drinking with some buddies.” Ciri rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what it was, exactly, but... My mom was pregnant at the time. She chose my grandmother to be my godmother. My dad didn’t have anyone to be my godfather. So he made it into some stupid contest, and Geralt ended up winning. No one thought it would matter, until it suddenly did.”

“That’s...” Jaskier was at a loss for words, for once.

“Ridiculous.” Ciri stated, angry at Geralt; her parents; her grandparents; the world.

Biting his lip, Jaskier thought for a moment, before he set her coffee down. Then he got a slice of red velvet cake from the baking display. “On the house.” He said, before Ciri could protest that she hadn’t ordered any food.

It was a paltry thing - a gesture, more than anything. A small kindness.

Still, it made that horrible bleakness finally clear from Ciri’s expression, and she gave a ghost of a smile. “Thanks Jas. I’m glad we ran into each other again.”

“Me too.” Jaskier smiled at her, giving a weak wave as she turned and went to sit down. He leaned against the counter, thinking over what he had just learned. It explained... a lot. Not that Jaskier would ever say it in front of Ciri, but... The fact that Geralt  _ did _ take Ciri in, and was trying to parent her... That meant something.

While it didn’t fit with the silent, stoic man who barely talked to him, it did match the man he met in the park, who clearly loved his dog. Jaskier found that he was drawn to both, wanting to learn more about all the different sides of Geralt.

...Oh. Oh dear. That was new.


End file.
